Anil Kanti "Neil" Basu QPM (born 1968) is a former senior British police officer.
Neil Basu | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Basu (rear) in 2019 | |
| Born | 1968 (age 55–56) |
| Police career | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Department | Metropolitan Police |
| Service years | 1992–2022 |
| Rank | Assistant Commissioner (Specialist Operations) |
| Awards | Queen's Police Medal |
From March 2018 to September 2021, he served as Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations in the Metropolitan Police and the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for Counter Terrorism Policing.[1][2]
Basu left the Metropolitan Police at the end of November 2022. [3]
Career
Basu became a police officer in 1992, and has spent his whole career serving with the Metropolitan Police Service.[4][5] He is currently the most senior serving British police officer of Asian heritage: his father was from Kolkata, India and his mother was from Wales.[6][7]
During the George Floyd protests, Basu spoke out about racism in policing, stating he was "horrified" by George Floyd's murder.[8]
Basu has stated he believes British policing is institutionally racist, criticising other senior British police officers for their reluctance to agree.[9][10]
Following the resignation of Lynne Owens as Director-General of the National Crime Agency, Basu was one of the final candidates under consideration to replace Owens, until the Home Office restarted the selection process in May 2022.[10]
Honours
| Ribbon | Description | Notes |
| | Queen's Police Medal (QPM) |
|
| | Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal |
|
| | Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal |
|
| | Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal |
|
| | Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal |